Following the speaker, Sony also showed off the new LinkBuds Open TWS headphones (the successor to the original LinkBuds).

Sony LinkBuds Open have been redesigned for a more comfortable fit with “fins”. The open design of the headphones allows you to hear the sounds and conversations around you, rather than imitate them with the “transparency” mode.

Sony has also redesigned the open ring driver. This is an 11mm round speaker with neodymium magnets connected to an integrated Sony V2 processor. By the way, this chip is used in the premium model WF-1000XM5. The open speaker supports DSEE and adaptive volume control.

LinkBuds Open connect via Bluetooth 5.3. The headphones support multi-point connectivity, AAC/LC3 audio codecs, voice commands, 360 Audio with head tracking, and are IPX4 rated.

LinkBuds Open also boasts significantly extended battery life. They work up to 8 hours continuously and up to 22 hours with a charging case. For comparison, the original LinkBuds have 5.5 and 17.5 hours, respectively.

Sony LinkBuds Open are already available for pre-order. The headphones cost $199. There are three colors to choose from: Black, Violet, and White. Or customers can create their own design by choosing the color of the top and bottom of the case and the headphones themselves. This service costs $9-29.